


No rest for the wicked

by MonsterLover4428 (xJellyfishQueenx), xJellyfishQueenx



Category: Mass Effect Andromeda
Genre: F/M, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Turians, Work In Progress, Xenophilia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-11
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:20:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27452620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xJellyfishQueenx/pseuds/MonsterLover4428, https://archiveofourown.org/users/xJellyfishQueenx/pseuds/xJellyfishQueenx
Summary: Kandros and Ryder, because why not? How I imagine it would've happened if Bioware had let us have him.
Relationships: Kandros/Ryder, Tiran Kandros/Female Ryder | Sara
Comments: 2
Kudos: 25





	1. Chapter 1

Ryder leaned over the console to review security footage in the militia HQ. The terminal displayed grainy, jumpy figures, and crackling audio. Probably tampered with.  
"Having any luck, Pathfinder?" Kandros asked.  
"These logs are incredibly degraded," she responded as she turned to face him.  
The Turian was just over 7', light gray skin with blue markings on his cheeks and mouth. Ryder admired the green lights in his chestplate as they continued their conversation. The lights reflected off her eyes making them appear greener.  
"Anything I can do to help?" He offered. "I knew there wouldn't be too much there, the uprising left a lot of damaged data and security feeds in its wake."  
Ryder put away her Omni-tool and set her hands on her hips. "Sam thinks this is intentional. Some sort of cover up. We just need to find whoever is behind it."  
He hummed a perplexed response, the subharmonics of his voice low and resonant.  
"I'll look more into it later," Ryder continued, "We just got back from Havarl and there's a drink with my name on it somewhere."  
Kandros chuckled. "I'll see you around, Pathfinder. I hear Dutch makes some interesting drinks, you may be able to get one named after you. He's always looking for new ingredients here in Andromeda."  
"See you later, Kandros."  
"Pathfinder."  
Kandros watched as the slender human walked away. She had a slight limp as if Havarl had been rough on her. Her dark brown hair cut just above her shoulders appeared incredibly luminous under the Nexus lights. The way it parted and sometimes concealed part of her face gave her an air of mystery. He also noticed how tan she was compared to last time he'd seen her, since she'd gone to the Krogan colony on Eladen.  
Ryder followed Kandros' advice and took the tram to the docks. After making arrangements for salvage to be carted off the Tempest and sold to various vendors, she stepped through the doors into the Vortex lounge. The music was low and thumping, the lights low and flaring to the tempo of the music. She ordered a drink then sat with one ankle propped on the other knee while she sipped at something Dutch called the Tall Moose.  
As she soaked up the atmosphere, she pulled up her Omni-tool again and began reviewing weapon modifications. She made annotations next to each one in her personal logs. The scope she had on her rifle was good, but the one on her pistol left something to be desired. The pistol was accurate enough on its own and the scope seemed to distract her in close quarters. She made a note to remove the mod and see if Peebee wanted it. After a couple of hours and two more drinks, she had a nice relaxed set to her shoulders. A couple of her crew member had wandered in to grab drinks and head out to the dance floor. Some came in to get drinks only to return to the Tempest. One would think after being aboard the ship for days and weeks on end, the occupants might enjoy a little more shore leave. Try as she might to untangle her feelings, though, the Tempest was home so she understood on some level the desire to return to it. Even if they found the golden world and settled all of Andromeda, the Tempest would still be home.  
Without realizing she did it, she scanned the crowd hoping to see Kandros. She like him and would enjoy the chance to spend time with him. Aside from the insights he had to offer on the Nexus, the rebellion, and the colonies, she wanted to know more about him.

On their private channel, Sam said, "Ryder, Tiran Kandros is approaching," a moment before she heard a Turian voice say, "Ryder, mind if I sit?" "Go right ahead," she responded with a smile and a loose wave of her hand. "I could always use the company." Kandros sank down across from her with a drink of his own and one he slid across to her. "I owe you one after helping out with that Nilken Rensus mess." "Kandros, you shouldn't have," she exaggerated but her fingers were already plucking the drink off the table. Kandros examined her face in the glow of the Omnitool. He could tell she was looking at weapons schematics and smiled, the V of his lips drawing up and back slightly. "I thought this was supposed to be down time, Pathfinder. You look elbow deep in work over there." Her hair was a dark fall in front of her left eye again as she tipped her head down slightly. "This is down time. It relaxes me. What's your favorite clip replacement for your shotgun?" "I use the standard. I have a barrel mod and a quick receiver right now. I like the increase in damage and the stability from the extra weight." Ryder regarded him with her sharp eyes. "Not bad. If you email me your recommendations I may just have to test them out. You fight up close or from a distance?" "I'm a soldier, I fight however I have to. I prefer picking them off from a distance but with the right shield capacitors..." he let the sentence trail off to take a drink. "What about you?"

"I'm flexible. I guess it depends on the battlefield. I favor my shotgun and my marksman rifle the same. It also depends on how many snipers we have on the field. Being linked to Sam helps me change my combat style as well, emphasizing biotics or tech. Last fight on Havarl we were pinned down, had four snipers bearing down on our squad. Drack went all Krogan commando bludgeoning half the enemies stupid enough to get close. Peebee loves using singularities to pull them out of cover and yelling 'gravity goes away in 3, 2, 1.' I managed a couple of biotic charges back to back and took out two of the snipers. After that it was a cakewalk."  
"If cakewalks involved gunfire and explosives," he added for her.  
They stayed like that for a few hours, falling into the easy banter of people that had much in common. They had both seen and done enough they could joke about it. They shared tips and tricks of the trade, Ryder explaining Roekar tactics while Kandros offered insights on Sloane Kelley.  
They didn't notice when the dancers finally emptied the dance floor or when most of the tables had cleared out. It wasn't until the lights came up that either one realized the Vortex was changing shifts. Kandros laughed and finished his drink.  
"Looks like we closed the place down," he said cheerfully.  
Ryder stood up, arched her back, and stretched her arms out. Her jacket and shirt rode up revealing the tan strip of flesh just above her waist before it was gone again.  
"It's been fun Kandros. Maybe next time you can show me those custom mods you've been researching. Anything you want me to keep an eye out for on Kadara?"  
"I'm not doing anything if you want to come by for a night cap," he responded, "and to see the mods before you head off to Kadara again."  
Kandros was reluctant to end the evening. The Pathfinder was an interesting escape from the usual Initiative flunkies puttering around the Nexus. Until tonight he hadn't realized the gravity of just how young and old she was all at the same time. Apparently stepping into Alec Ryder's shoes had made her grow in ways she'd never expected.  
"Sure," she responded. "I'd love to see your armory."  
Kandros had an apartment on the Nexus only a 10 minute walk from Vortex on the eighth floor up from the lobby. His apartment was clean and organized, opening into a living room with an electronic fireplace, and a decent kitchen just beyond that hardly looking like it got any use. A hallway led behind the kitchen to an office, bedroom, and a bathroom. The office had a private terminal and a weapons bench that seemed cluttered, but was most likely an organized mess. There were multiple data pads on the end tables, and a bottle of what looked like Turian ale on the coffee table.  
"Pardon the mess," he said as he collected a few data pads and the bottle and relocated them to the kitchen island.  
Ryder wasn't paying attention though, she had wandered to the doors opening onto the balcony and looked out at the view. Kandros' apartment looked out on hydroponics, and with the windows open, probably smelled like a garden.  
Kandros sat on the arm of the sofa, perched with one foot on the ground while he watched her open the glass doors to the balcony.  
"What a view," she breathed incredulously. "I haven't gotten to see much of the Nexus yet, didn't realize we had scenery like this here."  
He mumbled an agreement, but the view he admired wasn't the balcony or hydroponics, it was the curve of Ryder's waist when she leaned forward against the railing. The way her leather pants encased her hips and legs. It shocked him to realize that at some point he had stopped thinking of Ryder just as the human pathfinder, and began thinking of her as a female. Perhaps it was the alcohol. Kandros usually had better control over his thoughts.  
Ryder wasn't entirely innocent either. There had been little flirtations or innuendo during drinks at the Vortex. They had exchanged glances, compliments, and both knew where the conversation was leading. Kandros began to question his true motives for inviting her to his apartment, and she already knew the potential outcome when she accepted. Ryder had this stumbling way with conversation that he found endearing. She was graceful on the battlefield, but when it came to flirting and navigating loaded conversation, she was incredibly uncoordinated.  
Screw it, he thought as he crossed the room to her. She had stood up with her hands on the railing and still had her back to the room. He stopped just behind her, just short of touching, and reached both arms forward bracketing her body by placing his hands on the railing just outside hers, thumbs touching her pinkies. He was holding his breath waiting for her to react and almost missed it when her breath hitched on a shudder.  
She didn't trust herself. He nuzzled the hair just behind her ear taking her scent deep into his lungs. She tilted her head back and to the side a little, opening the length of her neck to him and he leaned in a little closer, the stiff chestplate of his armor between her shoulder blades.  
"Ryder," he purred against her skin.  
She turned in the cage of his arms, head down with that curtain of hair concealing her face again as she considered the lights of his armor.  
"I don't want you to stop, Kandros. I'm interested."  
He looked down at her, traced the white tattoo on her forehead with his eyes, the scar running diagonally across her left eye, a near miss that could've blinded her.  
"Normally I'd be telling you how unprofessional this is. You're the Pathfinder, I'm Nexus security. We work together well and frequently. I don't want things to get messy between us."  
"I wouldn't want that either," she agreed.  
Kandros dropped his arms from around her and took half a step back so he wasn't looming over her anymore. Every fiber of his being was at conflict, wanting to be closer to her and wanting to send her away so they wouldn't risk ruining the working relationship they had due to a night of drunken misconduct. Ryder raised a hand to his chest, her touch almost tangible even through all the layers between his skin and hers.  
"I'll give you time to think," he said. "When you come back from Kadara, if you want, we can talk about this."  
"Take all the time you need, Kandros," she said knowingly. "I'll be back in a week."  
With that, Ryder left mumbling, "I'm gonna need a cold shower."

After she left, Kandros tried to occupy himself by checking in on the Apex teams Ryder had deployed that afternoon. Everything looked good on their end which left him with little else to do. His weapons bench couldn't hold his attention, and neither could any of the reports from security on the Nexus. He found himself thinking about her, always his thoughts bringing him back to the faint scars he hadn't noticed on her eye, her scent, that tan line of skin just above the waist of her pants. And the way her hips curved out from the slender waist into muscular thighs.  
What had changed? He wondered over and over again what had made him begin thinking of her in this way. Before he found her in the Vortex, he had thought of her only as the human pathfinder, but as they swapped grim humor and war stories, something had changed. Camaraderie had transmuted into chemistry.  
Kandros had never considered humans to be all that attractive. Most Turians he knew hadn't voiced an attraction to them either. Plenty found Asari appealing and maybe it was because of the fringe, the skin tone, whatever. But humans?  
He continued to mull it over, and pulled up an image of Ryder. It was one of the stills from the vids Kari T'Vessa had taken after the success with the outpost on Eos. She had sharp intelligent eyes, a pleasant bone structure all angular cheek bones and wide jaw without being too masculine by human standards. He could tell by the way other humans interacted with her she was attractive to her own kind.  
Turian definitions of attraction leaned more toward the practical, what they could read in the other's subharmonic communications, their strength and stature, and basic animal instinct of who would make a better mate. All these things added up with the emotional aspect of trust and love meant an unbreakable bond. By his standards she was too short, her skin too soft, and Turians didn't exactly have breasts. Not the way humans did anyway. She was definitely not the Turian standard of beauty, so why could he not stop thinking about her?  
His fingers passed over his mouth, wondering what it would be like to feel her lips.  
Kandros sent a couple of emails before he finally settled into his bed restlessly. Staying out too late as he had meant he would be tired when the alarm sounded, but it had been worth it. He laughed at himself for obsessing like a child with a crush, and for trying to analyze what couldn't be pegged down as numbers or quantities. Curiosity got the better of him and he pulled up his Omnitool extranet link because he realized he didn't quite even understand human anatomy. Would it even be possible if he was interested after sobering up? Multiple sources told him yes, and some very suggestive images showed they wouldn't be the first interspecies couple to try it. There was an abundance of human male and Turian female pairings but few of Turian male and human females. He wondered how comfortable it would be for them if they tried.  
His research led him to some graphic territory that left him aroused. Suggestive images of human females about to impale themselves on Turian anatomy, and a couple of vids that involved an actress dressed up like Commander Shepard of the Normandy and a Turian painted and dressed up to look like Garrus Vakarian, or Archangel as he was known on Omega.  
Sleep continued to elude him even after watching a few vids and taking care of his straining frustrations so he climbed from his bed and opted for a cool shower to try starting his day.  
When he stepped out of his building he saw the Tempest preparing to depart. Vetra Nyx was leaning against the railing nearby watching a few crew members struggle with cargo. They had purchased new weapons and armor for their trip. From the looks of it, they had also had work done on the Nomad which now sported a blackout paint job.  
"Kandros," Vetra greeted him.  
"Nyx," he responded with a nod. "Getting ready to ship out."  
"Mm-hmm. Off to Kadara. Ryder seems to think Sloane Kelley can be reasoned with. She'd just as soon shoot her as look at her though."  
"I briefed her about Sloane last night. Maybe she understands a little better what she's up against."  
Vetra regarded Kandros coolly. She knew where Ryder had been the evening before, and for some reason she thought of the Pathfinder as she did her own sister. She felt the urge to protect her even though Ryder didn't need it.  
"Ryder said you had a late night once she stumbled back to the ship this morning. Maybe next time you could be a gentleman and walk her home."  
As Vetra stood, her hips cocked to the side. By Turian standards Vetra would be a good mate. Fiercely loyal, dangerous as hell, and a sense of pride that Kandros admired. She walked everywhere as if she owned the place and people took notice.  
"See you around, Nyx. Take care of yourselves out there."  
"Oh we will," she responded. "And Kandros..."  
He turned back as he started to walk away and waited for her to finish the sentence. She must have thought better of it and laughed. "Never mind. You'll find out for yourself."


	2. Chapter 2

Ryder was exhausted to say the least. She woke slowly in the faintly illuminated darkness of her quarters on board the Tempest. Before crashing she had set a course for Kadara, inspected the last of the requisitions, and turned oversight of the ship over to Vetra who had already eaten breakfast and done her routine rounds of the ship.  
The pet pyjack was perched on her desk examining the cage on the bookshelf. Who let the pyjack in her room?  
Outside the door she could hear Drack in the galley and Jaal and Lexi in medbay.  
"Pathfinder," Sam said, "you have unread messages at your private terminal and AVP outstanding."  
"Thanks Sam. Could you maybe work on whispering?"  
"Lexi may have something available to help with your discomfort this morning. May I suggest less to drink in the future?"  
Now her AI was giving her attitude? Her hair was still damp from her earlier shower so she brushed it out and waited for it to dry over a steaming cup of coffee. Or what passed for coffee in Andromeda.  
The datapad in front of her contained information she knew she should be retaining but the haze hadn't quite lifted from her mind yet.  
"We've got eyes on Kadara," Suvi relayed through the comms.  
That was quick, she mused. She wasn't quite used to the capabilities of the Tempest yet. The ship made quick work of traversing the systems and making the trip from the Nexus to Kadara in under a day was astounding.  
"Ryder!" Peebee exclaimed as she sat down across from her at the table. "Kallo asked that I bring this to you. Someone sent it to the ship right before leaving the Nexus. Wonder who it's from."  
The package in question was a box about the size of a shoe. Ryder slid the datapad to the side and examined the plain box. It had a decent weight to it but nothing inside moved. She pried the tape off the top and folded out the flaps to find a shotgun thermal clip replacement nestled into foam. There was no note or explanation but she didn't quite need one.  
"So?" Peebee prompted.  
Ryder smiled. "Just what I wanted. I've got a few things to do before we land. Get ready, you're coming with me to see Reyes."  
Peebee voiced her affirmation as Ryder stood. With the box tucked under her arm, she navigated her way back to her quarters where she sat at her terminal.   
There were multiple unread messages, one from Liam asking about movie night she hadn't opened yet, one from Jaal with the Angaran word of the day, Gil inviting her for poker, and one from Kandros. She skimmed them all up until Kandros' message.  
It read: "Pathfinder, I've attached a list of my preferred weapons mods as well as a schematic in case you want to research it. I also took the liberty of sending my newest improvement on the thermal clip for the Dhan shotgun. If memory serves correctly, that's your weapon of choice. It should more than double your ammo capacity if you don't mind a little extra weight. Come and see me next time you're on the Nexus." It was signed Tiran Kandros, Director of Nexus security. The message was very straightforward, two soldiers swapping weapon info. But taking into account the electricity that had passed between them, she doubted it was something so simple. It made her smile while she made the appropriate changes to the shotgun and plugged in the schematics at her research terminal.

The week came and passed with no sign of the Tempest returning to the Nexus. No news about Kadara, only an email sent back to Kandros with a review of the thermal clip mod he had sent to her. It had been sent three days into the week long countdown, and he hadn't heard anything since. If it were anyone but Ryder, he might be concerned for her.  
Then the day came he saw her disembarking the tram and heading straight for Siderys Nyx. He thought he caught bits of the conversation even across such a distance. Ryder was not pleased. The extra eight days that had been tacked on to the excursion involved Sid and a tip she had passed along to Vetra who then enlisted Ryder's help. The event sounded like a disaster.  
Ryder bypassed the militia HQ that day and half-jogged up to Tann's office. Over the next two days, it seemed, everyone had a favor to ask of her. She found herself on the Hyperion speaking with Dunn about a sensitive matter, and helping Kesh a few times. It seemed everyone needed something from her and all she wanted was some peace and quiet. She hadn't forgotten about Kandros' email, she was being pulled in so many directions it would have to wait so she sent him an email that simply said "The clip enhancement made the difference on Kadara. Thanks again Kandros."  
It wasn't until he made it back to his apartment that night that he read it and sent a response, "Glad I could help, Pathfinder. Don't forget to come up for air. Is there anything you need from me?"  
Her response: "Maybe another stiff drink and a pillow, but there is no rest for the wicked. It looks as though we have a lead on the Archon, I am being called away from the Nexus again."  
He sent back, "I understand. I was looking forward to seeing you this time you docked, but I suppose personal matters will have to wait when you have this entire new galaxy looking to you for help. Be safe out there."  
He reread his last message twice before he sent it. His doubts had come back that maybe she wasn't interested after all. Maybe the thought of attempting domesticity with a Turian was offputting. He had the concern that maybe he was enamored with the idea of a flirtation with Ryder, and faced with it would he be disgusted by a naked human? At present he wasn't, even the pornography he had seen of such things didn't disgust him. It was hard to imagine she could turn him off given the fact that the very thought of stripping her out of that armor led his mind in directions that weren't entirely savory. The extranet had given him some ideas.  
Little did he know Ryder had a similar browser history. She had input such queries as "naked Turian" and "nude male Turian" and found herself in a xenophilia forum where she read about some strange couplings like the human and elcor or Hanar and Quarian. How that managed to be possible was still baffling but she hadn't been brave enough to search for imagery of it. It seemed species was not a barrier these days.  
The Tempest docked on Aya two days after setting out from the Nexus. Traversing the scourge very carefully made the journey take a bit longer, as if the scourge was growing and closing off old pathways and creating new ones. Could it be alive?  
Upon Jaal's request, Ryder went with him to speak with Evfra again, and made the rounds. She spent an evening with the Moshae trying to feel enlightened, but managing to feel as though her attempts at levity made her seem inferior to the elder Angaran. She spent time with her crew in the markets and museums learning as much as she could about Angaran culture and time in their infirmary picking up information to pass along to Lexi about Angaran physiology.  
Her time on Aya was busy, it seemed multiple leads had led her back here and Sam was constantly reminding her that she needed to make arrangements to have things taken to the museum, messages that needed read, people she had been out searching for, and a few personal items the crew had asked that she find.  
Back on the Tempest, and finally ready to turn back toward the Nexus, she received word that she was needed on Kadara once again. Sloane Kelley asked for her to attend a meeting with the Charlatan since she was an objective outsider that wouldn't stab Sloane in the back if given the chance to rise to power for herself. Again, she took Peebee and Drack as they also were impartial to the happenings on Kadara and Drack had business outside the slums.


	3. Chapter 3

Another two weeks passed before Kandros saw the Tempest again. This time Ryder looked sleep deprived, and unraveled around the edges. Her composure was usually impeccable, but today she was angry and headed straight for Tann's office. It was no secret the human Pathfinder didn't see eye to eye with director Tann. Shortly after she disappeared behind the doors to the office, Kandros was summoned to come up to Tann's office as well.  
Ryder sat on the sofa, and Tann stood by the table. Upon entering the room, they both looked to Kandros.  
Tann said, "Ryder has just informed me that Sloane Kelley was killed on Kadara. Your job just got a bit more difficult, Kandros. As head of Nexus security, you will need to work up a new personnel file over this...Charlatan who is now in power. Although we now have the outpost on Kadara, we need to be aware of the stability of this planet's existing politics. I was also just made aware of a potential threat on the Nexus."  
Ryder leaned forward, elbows to her knees. "There is a group that thinks AIs need to be eradicated. They uploaded a virus to Sam Node and believe it worked. I have reason to believe they are planning an attack on the Nexus. I'm not sure what yet, but they keep hinting at a 'big movement' about to happen. We know they have agents here and are responsible for hacking the Avina terminals that have been malfunctioning around the station."  
"I'll have my people begin investigating. We will bolster security around the station. Are there any suggestions you can make as to where we should begin looking, Pathfinder?"  
She shrugged her shoulders. "Lets start with Sam Node. I don't think they would attack twice, but it's a good starting point. Also any possible access terminals that have been malfunctioning or noticeably tampered with. Sam and I will keep an eye out as well and scan any anomalies we find. I'll come and find you later, Kandros."  
"You have your parameters, Kandros. Let's find out what these terrorists are up to," Tann said dismissively.  
Ryder rubbed at her eyes and gave Tann a considering look. Under other circumstances, the two would hardly be friendly. As it were, there was a common enemy and a common goal which was enough to unite everyone in Andromeda. Even the Krogan were on board with helping the Initiative. No wonder she looked so tired.

Ryder didn't want to go to militia HQ. She knew a handful of people would stop her on her way there with a handful of concerns that only she could help with. Today just wasn't the day. She was weary, bone-tired, and felt like a husk just going through the motions. After the shit show on Kadara, she hadn't gotten much sleep. Her moral dilemma kept her eyes open on the long flight home. She could've stopped the sniper from assassinating Sloane, but would she have been happy about it and would it have been the right thing? At least Reyes was willing to work with her and protect the outpost. She wasn't sure what kind of reception the outpost would've gotten with Sloane still holding the throne. Even further, she believed Reyes to have his heart in the right place for the people of Kadara even if he was a shady bastard. That old earth saying had her tossing and turning though: the road to hell is paved with good intentions.  
Ryder waited for Kandros outside his apartment. She could've bypassed the lock and let herself in but didn't want to violate his privacy. She dealt with the questioning looks from the passers by, one just happened to be Vetra. She knew Kandros would be working late this evening and so did Vetra after the news they brought back with them. The female Turian sat next to her friend, legs drawn up and arms crossed.  
"Waiting for someone or is this just a nice quiet spot to loiter?" Vetra inquired.  
Ryder smiled at her friend. "Kandros and I needed to discuss the events on Kadara."  
"I assumed that would be a conversation better suited for HQ." There was a bit of humor in her voice.  
"We've got other matters to attend to as well," Ryder continued evenly.  
"Have anything to do with the way he keeps looking at you like a varren after a treat? I'm pretty observant, Ryder."  
"I wasn't sure how he's been looking at me. I don't really know much anymore, it seems."  
"Take my advice, one woman to another. Kandros is a good man, but Turians like to put our duties first. I think he struggles with his place sometimes, running away from expectations in the Milky Way only to find himself plugged into a position just like the one he'd been avoiding once we got here. He's got romantic notions about civilian life, but he'll never know anything about it. Men like Kandros spend their lives doing the honorable thing. In Andromeda, the honorable thing is to keep protecting everything we're working for here until the day he dies. Sure, he might want to carve out a life for himself, but his sense of Turian honor keeps letting people rely on him. Will you be happy knowing you'll always be at the bottom of the list?"  
"What about you, Vetra?"  
"I've got Sid. As long as I need to I'll keep doing whatever I can to make sure we come out on top. So far that means keeping you alive and keeping things nice and orderly here on the Nexus." The two sat in silence for a few beats. Vetra continued, "Just consider what I said, Ryder. Ask yourself, are you prepared to keep sitting around waiting on a Turian to decide he wants to do something for himself for once? It could end up being a long wait and neither one of us have much of a long lifespan."  
"Grows even shorter every day," Ryder agreed.  
Vetra sat for a while longer before she excused herself to go find a drink. Her spirits seemed to be awfully melancholy and Ryder made a note to stop by and see her later.

"Pathfinder?" a voice called as if down a tunnel. "Pathfinder Ryder," it echoed.  
She blinked a few times, eyes opening to the synthetic lights of the Nexus having turned down to twilight. The corridor she sat in was still brightly illuminated and slashes of green light in front of her made her frown. What was she seeing?  
She smelled the distinct tang of solvent and oil one used to clean weapons, and just under that a musk she recognized as Turian.  
"How long have you been waiting here?"  
After her eyes adjusted, she could make out the pretty green lights of Kandros' armor, the blue slash across his mouth, and his light gray carapace as he crouched in front of her.  
"Um..." She thought hard and couldn't recall falling asleep. "Probably not long," she answered.  
Kandros stood and offered a slender hand to help her to her feet which she gratefully took. Her neck felt pulled in the wrong direction, muscles straining from having been arched and immobile as her head had lulled against the wall while she drowsed.  
The door to the apartment chimed as it opened and Kandros led her inside. "I was expecting you at security."  
"I didn't really want to be around all those people. I had a lot on my mind."  
She wandered past the balcony doors and into the kitchen, fingertips trailing along the back of a barstool. Kandros offered a drink which she accepted with appreciation.  
"Anything in particular?" he asked.  
Her eyes dropped to the countertop between them then climbed back up his chest. He leaned down, elbows on the island, and fixed her with his bright blue eyes.  
"I keep wrestling with myself. Whether I did the right thing back on Kadara. I let Sloane die when I could've stopped it. I saw the sniper before the shot. What would you have done in my position?"  
Kandros looked past her to the windows before answering. "I don't know. You have a huge weight on your shoulders, Pathfinder. I can't say if there was a better way to do what you accomplished, but the important part is that you did it. We can bring some of our people back and have a more viable outpost on Kadara because of the sacrifices you made. According to intel, Reyes Vidal has a shaded history and some questionable methods, but as long as he's on our side we have a chance. If you had stopped the assassination, would you have risked being a casualty instead?"  
"I don't think Reyes would have shot me," she responded without thinking. "He doesn't keep his cards close enough to his chest when it comes to his feelings."  
Kandros averted his gaze to follow hers along the countertop as if there were answers there. Again, he realized just how alien they were to one another. This time he pondered the possibility of Ryder and Reyes Vidal, or any other species closer to home for that matter. Peebee was very unashamed of her flirtation with the Pathfinder, and even Jaal seemed to have this dreamy look about him when she was near.  
"What about your feelings?" he asked. Immediately he felt like he'd overstepped by asking.  
Ryder's sharp eyes met his across the small space between them. "I like you, Kandros. I've thought about you a lot."  
He rounded the counter to her, hand going to wrap around hers. He wanted to press their mouths together and feel the heat of her breath.  
"I want you to be happy, Ryder. Even if that means pretending I don't want you. I see the way others look at you and I know that our species are so different. If you need someone closer to home like Liam or Peebee..."  
She raised her hand to his chest and leaned into him just enough for him to feel her weight. "We aren't so different, we both have dreams and desires. Hearts capable of feeling love. I want to try if you do."  
Kandros tipped his head down to her inviting the kiss as his arms circled her waist and pressed her delicate body even closer. Finally, she pressed her lips to his, breath mingled and tongues slid together. He was intoxicated by having her so close just as she was reveling in the sensations of the rasp of his tongue and feel of his breath.  
Kandros was the one who broke the kiss. Sometimes doing the honorable thing was the hardest and it was apparent she was upset about Kadara and had things to work through. It wasn't his place to complicate things for her. He wanted to do the opposite.  
Kandros cleared his throat. Ryder smoothed her hair over the back of her neck.  
"This isn't what you came here for," Kandros said. His voice was more stern than he meant it. He softened it by adding, "We've got all the time in the world to figure us out."  
"You're right," Ryder agreed. "My brain is just a little scattered now."  
"I understand, Kadara has been complicating things for a while now. Take your time."  
Ryder flushed. "Not because of that... Anyway, subject change. I'll send my current data to your Omnitool. Included is my last mission brief."  
Her slender fingers danced across the orange glow of the Omnitool. She hardly had to look at what she was doing. It probably meant more efficiency on the battlefield if you could just remember where your fingers needed to be on the device. Kandros had been in an administrative position for too long now, his reflexes were probably slower.  
"These wannabe saboteurs are led by a woman they call Knight. She and her son were involved in something called Project Overlord back in the Milky Way. I have reason to believe they are preparing to stage an attack on the Nexus."  
"What reason is that?" Kandros queried. He hadn't bothered to examine the information he received, he enjoyed the eye contact as Ryder briefed him.  
"Sam and I scanned her personal terminal before we could be detected. We managed to decrypt some of the data. Also sent to your Omnitool."  
They were still standing so close they could've touched. Kandros wanted to stroke her hair back from her forehead so badly his hand almost itched. He busied himself with his Omnitool for a moment to let the urge pass.  
"I didn't fully divulge the information to Tann, but I believe the plan in question involves EMP devices."  
Kandros' eyes flashed to Ryder. "That would cripple the Nexus."  
Sam chimed in, "Pathfinder, properly placed EMPs could prevent any further AI development in Andromeda. I believe Knight intends to detonate these devices."  
"Sam and I have been scanning terminals here on the Nexus since we got back. We haven't been able to determine any sort of sabotage other than the hackers that messed with the Avina terminals."  
Kandros turned and went down the hallway toward his office. He spoke over his shoulder as he did so. "We need to alert the docks, see if anyone has come through with strange cargo."  
On his private terminal, Kandros made a few calls while Ryder watched. He alerted his security to the threat without telling them the full scale. He implied smugglers were using he Nexus as a means to pass off and distribute equipment. No leads returned anything yet.  
While Kandros sent out emails and pulled up logs on his terminal, Ryder examined his weapons bench, then glanced out the doorway toward the bedroom.


End file.
